Ben is a contender for the top spots here at the US Surf Ski Champs. He has a big background in Surf Lifesaving in Australia. Here in Canada the typical response would be, "Oh Yeah" but in Australia Surf Lifesaving is a big deal and like a national sport. For example, at the National competition there were 600 paddlers competing. Ben recently placed 1st at Byron Bay beating favorite, Jeremy Cotter in the 20 km race.
Ken Stannick, Matt Kelly exchanging banter with Ben Allen
So here is the dialogue:
Where is Hometown?
Maroochydore Sunshine Coast, Australia
How do you pay the bills?
i"m a commercial plumber
Family?
Married with a 21/2 year old Son, Jett. Plus a bun in the oven
What type of music do you listen to?
No Time
Read any good books lately?
No Time
Ben said that between work, family training he doesn't have much time for anything else.
Nickname?
"Pitter" I did a photo shoot for a Aussie Beer brand, Emu Bitter. I played a guy, "Chad Pitter" which stuck.
Do you have an item which you have to bring to a race?
My personal paddle. Performance Paddles made on the Sunshine Coast by Scott Paul. Other than that I'm not superstitious. If you place importance on a single item it makes you vulnerable if it goes missing.
How many hours do you train per week?
I paddle about 100 - 130 km per week over 6 - 8 training session about 1.5 - 2 hrs per session.
What time of the day do you like to train?
5:30 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
What attributes do you bring to the race that separate you from the field?
My ability to keep grinding away at a steady pace for long periods of time.
What paddling conditions do you excel in?
I seem to do well in headwind conditions, small to medium chop and flatwater. The headwind paddling skills come from spending lots of time paddling in WA (Western Australia)
What other sports do you participate in?
Surf Life Saving, Surfing and anything in the ocean. My hand are too bad for rugby
Will your country affiliations take precedence over your team affiliations. Will you work with Sean? For example, also on Team Think is South African, Sean Rice. Aussie / South African rivalries are famous.
I'm going to work with whoever is around me, until the near the end then its every man for himself. Its difficult to make a plan as you never know how the other guy will be paddling the day of the race.
How do you think you will do on Saturday?
I think the forecasted lighter winds will work well for my style. I'm feeling good about the race.
With reference to the Penquin Plunge, as a spectator of the Plunge I was most impressed with the wonderful huge bonfire that was there every year to warm both spectators and plungers and did not see mention of that in any write ups on the history of the Plunge. It was unique in that it seemed only Deep Cove had that warming feature.
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